The Center for Union Facts has been focusing on the issue of secret ballot elections since our founding. Others in the blogosphere have done a great job of covering the issue — including ShopFloor.org, EmployerReport.com, and Laboring Away At The Institute. Today: a bit from the CUF research department, which found a case of union hypocrisy worthy of a good head-shaking.

Pushing a political agenda to steal secret ballot rights from working Americans deciding whether to join a union, union officials are forced to rely on some shady logic. They say that taking away private ballots is the only democratic thing to do. Yes, we must burn the village to save it!

We’ve noted before that there is plenty of hypocrisy by labor leaders when it comes to managing their own staff (see here). When it comes to recognizing organizing attempts by its own employees, Big Labor actually does the responsible thing and allows for a government-overseen election. (It’s unusual hypocrisy which extols a terrible idea and actually lives by something more praiseworthy, but such is the life of a labor lobbyist.)

But enough suspense. We’ve been looking through the National Labor Relations Board’s enormous database, and we found this nugget: In April 2001, the Newspaper, Newsprint, Magazine and Film Delivery, Drivers, Helpers and Handlers Teamsters Local 211 was handed a petition for an NLRB election. The petitioning party? Automotive Chauffeurs, Parts & Garage Employees, Teamsters Local 926 (06-RC-11966).

Where’s the brotherhood?